Chewing instead of Smoking...34º

I mentioned in a previous blog that Herb and the kids were having a learning experience, taking on new responsibilities, keeping the "home fires burning," you might say.

I too was learning new things, such as patience, when the "mean machine" broke down again...On warm days it was a welcome break, when we, the women, could sit either on the sunny side or shaded side, lean up against a wheel to rest our aching backs and visit, while the men crawled under the machine to fix yet another belt, bolt or pulley...But sometimes the break stretched on and a replacement part had to be found, and we found other things to do...Joyce had a volkswagon bug and we took many rides in that, cruising the field and especially the ends of the rows, where the digger might miss a few potatoes...With a shovel and a gunny sack we could dig and share these potaoes to take home...This also gave us a chance for a potty break, across the field from the men and using the "bug" to hide behind...We all worked at making this job fun, almost anything could make us laugh, so we told jokes, pulled pranks on each other, anything to pass the time...After a potty break one day, those of us wearing bibs, decided to put our bibs on backwards and see how long it took the "guys" to notice...Two days later one of them laughed, and pointed and insinuated that we were pretty stupid, not to realize that our clothes were on backwards...Of course that produced gales of laughter from us and left them shaking their heads, dumbfounded.

Endurance was learned when a breakdown occured and the weather was cold...Sometimes we could climb up into the dump trucks and sit, out of the wind, but most of the time it was better to keep moving to keep warm and limbered up, knowing that soon we would be standing, bent over the moving table, until the next break...Endurance also occurred when one 60 acre field was finished and Cliffs parting words that night were, "Meet at the house in the morning and we will drive to Upper Prairie Creek and start on the 80 acre field."

I learned understanding, working with men and women, young and old from all walks of life and all temperaments...Cliff and Clada both seemed to be patient, understanding people but one day Cliff wasn't happy when Clada signaled him to stop so she could have a cigarette...He stopped long enough for her to light up, then abruptly put the machine in gear and away we went, Clada puffing away, using one hand for the cigarette and throwing clods with the other...The conversation that day went something like this..."Clada, have you ever tried "chewing" instead of smoking, then we wouldn't have to stop for you?"We were always looking for a way to help each other out...She finally agreed to try our suggestion but only if we would join her...Hugs To All...OWAV:)